Railroad journal box



June 23, 1953 R. J. BRITTAIN, JR

RAILROAD JOURNAL BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 15, 1949 FIG. 2

INVENTOR /CHAQD J. BRITTAINJR. BY W44 H [S ATTORNE 7f June 23, 1953 R.J. BRITTAIN, JR 3,

RAILROAD JOURNAL BOX Filed Nov. 15, 1949 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG/Z.

' /N\/ENTOR.; FIG. 9

RICHARD .J. 5/2/- AIM/E. BY M 0 H/s AT o/arvEr June 23, 1953 Filed NOV.15, 1949 FIGJB R. J. BRlTTAlN, JR

RAILROAD JOURNAL BOX 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORJ RICHARD J. B TTA/N JR.BY M6,

HIS ATTORNEY Patented June 23, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,643,163 i RAILROAD JOURNAL ox Richard J. Brittain; Jr., Berkeley.Heights, N. .1; assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich acorporation of Delaware Application November 15, 1949; SerialNo. 127.495

12 Claims. 1

This invention relates to railroad journal boxes and comprises all ofthe features of novelty herein disclosed. An object of the invention isto provide an improved thrust construction for journal boxes, especiallya cushioned thrust construction which can be conveniently assembled andadjusted with a removable end cap. To this end and also to improvegenerally upon devices of this character; the invention consists in thevarious matters hereinafter described and claimed. In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal outer or front half of the box.

Fig. 2 is a central horizontal section of one half of Fig. l. s

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross section of a bumper or cushion. v s

Fig. 4 is in part an end view of Fig. 1 with other parts in verticalcross section. I

Fig. 5 is an inside end view of the end cap shown in Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a vertical central section of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a cross section on line I-! of Fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is one half a top view andonehalf a horizontal section on theline 8-8 of Fig. 9, the figures being enlarged views of the thrustblock.

Fig. 9 is an end view of Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a detail section on line llll0 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11 is a central vertical section of Figs. 8 and section at thesleeve 6 in the box and a bearing sleeve 8 on the, axle it. An oilcollectingringlZ surrounding the end of the axle and the sleevet gathersoil from the bearings and delivers it to the thrust block' it which ispartially housed in a recessed end cap it bolted to the box. The end ofthe box has an inwardly projecting flange 18 whose outer face is flatand engaged by one of a series of spacing washers or shims 20 interposedbetweenthe fiat face and an outwardly extending flange 22 on the endcap. Also engaging thespacing shims at three or more locations insideofthe flange 22 is a series of flatfaced lugs 24 projecting'from' the 2thrust block; into oversize recesses 26 in the end cap. The side facesof the lugs are flush with the face of the end cap flange when the endcap is bolted on.

The end cap has a circular recess 28 deeper than the recesses 26 andopen towards the box. It is formed in part by a tapering conical wall 38which projects inwardly and decreases in diameter towards the box. Theend of the wall 38 is joined to a flat wall 32. The wall 30 forms adividing wall between the recess 28 and a smaller recess in the end capand open away from the end of the box for cooling purposes. The thrustblock has a flat facing 34 of bronze cast upon it and intermittentlyengaged by the axle when the latter shifts axially. This face has agroove 35 eccentric to'the thrust block and supplied with oil from acavity 36 below the drain lip of the oil collecting ring [2. The lateralor space between the axle and the thrust block can be varied as desiredby making the shims 20 of varying thicknesses, or by varying the numberused. A witness groove 31 indicates a certain amount of wear of thethrust block. The thrust block has an internal conical Wall 38 whichextends into the recess 28 of the end cap where it terminates in anarrow annular flat face 40 adapted to abut against the bottom of therecess 28 if the axle engages the thrust block with sufficient force toovercome the resistance of a resilient bumper or cushion 42. V

The bumper or cushion as shown in Fig. 2, comprises a conical ring ofsynthetic rubber or the like between an outer conical metal ring 84 andan inner conical metal ring 46. When the end cap is bolted on, theconical faces apply an initial load to the bumper thereby causing oneend 48 of the bumper to engage the thrust block in the region where aflat face or wall 49 having an opening 58 joins the conical wall 38, theother end 5| of the bumper engaging the end cap where a taperingprojection formed by the conical wall 30 joins a flat face on the endcap. The conical rings-44 and 46 are bonded to the bumper along itsgreater portion but one end of each plate extends beyond the bumper, andone end of each plate terminates short of the end of the bumper. Thebottom of the thrust block has a shallow drain groove 52 from which adeeper recess 54 extends upwardly; extending into this recess is a screw56 carried by one of a series of arcuate lateral projections 58 on theend cap. The screw holds the end cap, bumper and thrust block togetheras a unit-handling device. The bumper is under an initial load whenthe'end cap is bolted to the box, the three lugs 24 bearing against thewashers 20 which engage the box flange l8 and the end cap flange 22.When the thrust block has received an undesirable amount of wear, aselected one of the shims 20 can be removed to restore the thrustsurface to its initial distance from the axle and the preload on thecushion remains the same. The thrust block is supported by the cushionwith clearance in the box opening and hence can align itself with theaxle under a heavy thrust load.

In Fig. 15, the same thrust block I and bumper 42 are used with anadapter IBA for supporting a generator driven by the axle. The adapteris bolted to the box in the same manner as the end cap 16 and has someof the corresponding parts indicated by numerals 22A, 26A and 30A. Theconical wall 30A however terminates in an opening 60 concentric with theopening 50 in the thrust block so that a drive shaft can pass through.The adapter has a flanged extension 52 to which a cap 64 is bolted, thecap having an opening closed by a cover 66.

I claim:

1. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, an end cap removably secured to the box, a thrustblock spaced from the end of the axle, the end cap having an internalrecess open towards the box and an external and smaller recess open awayfrom the box, said recesses having a common dividing wall projectinginwardly towards the axle from the end cap, the thrust block having aportion extending into the larger recess, and internally recessed toreceive the dividing wall, a cushion between the thrust block and theend cap, and mechanism demountably securing the thrust block and thecushion in unit-handling relation with the end cap.

2. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, a recessed end cap removably secured to and closing anend of the box, a thrust block spaced from the end of the axle, thethrust block having a portion extendin into the recess in the end capand provided with a tapering internal recess formed by a conical wall,the end cap having a tapering projection extending into the taperingrecess within the thrust block and formed by a conical Wall, an end capwall closing the inner end of the tapering projection within the thrustblock recess, and a hollow conical cushion between the conical walls.

3.,In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, a recessed end cap removably secured to and closing anend of the box, a thrust block spaced from the end of the axle, thethrust block having a portion extending into the recess in the end capand provided with a tapering internal recess formed by a conical wall,the end cap having a tapering projection extending into the taperingrecess and formed by a conical wall, a hollow conical cushion betweenthe conical walls, and a member on the end cap demountably holding thethrust block and the cushion to the end cap as a unit therewith.

4. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, a recessed end cap removably secured to the box, athrust block spaced from the end of the axle and contained partly withinthe box and partly within the recess of the end cap, the portion withinthe end cap having a conical wall forming an internal recess, the endcap having a conical projection extending into the recess, a conicalcushion interposed between the conical wall and, the conical projection,and mechanism on the end cap securing the thrust block and cushion inunithandling relation with the end cap.

5. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, an end cap removably secured to and closing an end ofthe box, a thrust block spaced from the end of the axle and having aconical wall forming an internal conical recess, the end cap having aconical projection closed at its inner end and extending toward the axleand into the recess, a conical cushion interposed between the conicalwalls, and the cushion comprising a resilient annular member with innerand outer conical metal rings bonded to it.

6. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, an end cap removably secured to and closing an end ofthe box, a thrust block spaced from the end of the axle and having aconical wall forming an internal conical recess, the end cap having aconical projection closed at its inner end and extending into therecess, a conical cushion interposed between the conical walls, thecushion compris ing a resilient member with inner and outer conicalmetal rings bonded to it, and each of said rings terminating at one endshort of the end of the cushion. v

7. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, a recessed end cap removably secured to and closing anend of the box, the end cap having a central tapering projectionextending inwardly towards the box with an annular recess outside ofsaid projection, a tapering annular cushion seated against the centralprojection and entering the annular recess, a thrust block having asurface spaced from the axle and an opposite tapering surface engagingthe cushion, a member in said end cap securing the thrust block and saidcushion in unit-handling relation with the end cap, and mechanismholding the cushion under compression in engagement with the thrustblock and with the end cap. I

8. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation; and axialshifting therein, an end cap removably secured to and closing an end ofthe box and having a circular recess, a thrust block contained partlywithin the box and partly within the recess of the end cap, the end caphaving an annular series of peripherally spaced projections extendingaxially into the box and positioned around the thrust block,peripherally spaced thrust block projections respectively locatedbetween adjacent end cap projections and engaging the box for normallylocating the thrust block in spaced relation to the end of the axle, anda conical rubber-like cushion entering the recess and compressed againstthe thrust block and against the end cap.

9. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, an end cap removably secured to the box, a thrustblock spaced from the end of the axle, a cushion engaging the end capand the thrust block, the box having an inwardly extending flangesurrounding the thrust block, the end cap having an outwardly extendingflange and an annular series of internal recesses, the thrust blockhaving a series of lugs extending radially outwardly into the recesseswith side lug faces flush with a face of the end cap flange, the flushfaces overlapping said inwardly extending box flange, and means forsecuring the end cap flange to the box flange to hold the cushion undercompression.

'10. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, an end cap removably secured to and closing an end ofthe box, a thrust block spaced from the end of the axle, a cushionengaging the end cap and the thrust block, the box having an inwardlyextending flange surrounding the thrust block, the end cap having anoutwardly extending flange and an annularly disposed series of internalrecesses, the thrust block having a series of peripherally spaced lugsextending into the recesses with side lug faces flush with a face of theend cap flange, the flush side lug faces overlapping the box flange,means for securing the end cap flange to the box flange to hold thecushion under compression, and a series of removable spacing washersinterposed between all of the flush faces and said inwardly extendingflange of the journal box.

11. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, an end cap removably secured to and closing an end ofthe box, a thrust block spaced from the end of the axle, a cushionengaging the end cap and the thrust block, the box having an inwardlyextending flange surrounding the thrust block, spacing washers engagingthe flange, the end cap having an outwardly extending flange engagingthe washers, and the thrust block having outwardly extending lugsengaging the washers radially inside of the end cap flange and holdingthe cushion under compression.

12. In a journal box having an axle journalled for rotation and axialshifting therein, an end cap removably secured to the box and having acircular recess, an end cap projection axially extending within therecess towards the axle, a thrust block, a flat thrust block faceengageable with the end of the axle and normally spaced from the end ofthe axle, the thrust block being partly within the journal box andpartly within the end cap recess, and a compressed cushion fitted overthe axial projection within said recess and peripherally seated againstthe thrust block.

RICHARD J. BRITTAIN, JR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 408,288 Brewer Aug. 6, 1889 1,810,713 Lord June 16, 19312,292,607 Brittain Aug. 11, 1942 2,433,022 Brittain Dec. 23, 19472,453,594 Reynolds Nov. 9, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date15,805 Great Britain 1906

